Dolly for washing machines



June 19, 1923. 1,459,483

C.C.UNRUH DOLLY FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Jan. 22, 1923 Patented June19,1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT. orrl cia.

CORNELIUS C. UNBUE, OF FREEMAN, SOUTH DAKOTA.

DOLLY FOR WASHING MACHINES.

' chine and particularly to'that type of ma- Eli chine in which thearticles to be washed are contained in a receptacle having a movingmember or dolly therein for agitating the articles and water. Theinvention is especially directed to a novel form of such moving memberor dolly. In the type of machine disclosed, it has heretofore been thepractice to use a dolly whichwas oscillated or gyrated on a centralspindle, which dolly comprised a dish-shaped member having a centralupstanding hub portion therein, thus forming an annular trough which wastraversed by vertical blades. Such a type of dolly was and is being usedin the well known Maytag washing machine which is now upon the market.it has been found by experience that with such a dolly the clothes tendto accumulate in a knot or tangle above the dolly and by means of thepresent invention this objectionable action has been overcome.

It is an object of this invention, therefore,

to provide a washing machine dolly or agitating member of the movabletype which will eficiently agitate the water and clothes and yet willnot cause any objectionable action thereoi/ i It is a further object ofthe invention to provide such a dolly comprising a central upstandingstem having radial ribs projecting therefrom and extending along thesides thereof,

lit is more specifically an object of the invention to provide such astem preferably of cylindrical form, the surface of which merges intothe surface of the dish-shaped dolly and the ribs on which are integraland continuous with the ribs extending across the dish-shaped portion ofthe dolly;

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fullyappear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings Application filed January 22, 1923. Serial No.614,182.

HISSUE in which like reference characters refer to the same partsthroughout the difierent views, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in centralverticaLsection of one type of washing machine showing the inventionapplied thereto; I

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the dolly detached from the machine; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the dolly iaken substantially on theline 3-3 of Fig.

till

' Referring to the drawings, in 1 a washing machine is shown comprlsinga frame having a base plate 1 with legs 2 projecting upwardly therefrom,being provided with casters at their lower ends. A receptacle 3 adaptedto contain water and the articles to be washed is mounted upon the legs2 and, as shown, is provided with a hinge cover 4: at the top thereof.The lower per-- tion of the receptacle 3 is provided with a dish-shapedrecess having a central hub. in which is journaled a driving shaft 5having an angularly-shaped portion 6 extending upwardly into thereceptacle and having a pinion 7 secured to its lower end. lhe pinion 7is arranged to mesh with a rack member 8 which is reciprocated by beingattached at one end to a crank disk driven from a pulley 9 indicated indotted in Fig. 1, which pulley is, in turn, driven by a belt 10 from asuitable motor 11 secured to the base 1. A tightening pulley 12 for.said belt is also illustrated. A driving shafi '13 extends upwardly fromcertain gearing enclosed in a casing 13 for the purpose of driving awringer which will be attached to the machine. lhe driving mechanismforms no part of the present invention and is merely illustrated to showhow the'dolly member is driven.

The dolly member, as illustrated, comprises a cup-shaped or dish-shapedmember 14 of a'size and form to be disposed substantially in the recessin the bottom of the receptacle 3. The member 14 has an upstandingcentral portion 15 at the center thereof, the vertical elements of whichare concave so that the surface thereof merges into the surface of themember 14 and forms,

in efi'ect, an annular trough. The underside of the portion 15 isprovided with a sleeve or hub 16 having an angular recess therein sothat said sleeve is adapted to fit over the angular' portion 6 of theshaft 5, and be sup- Q p r 2 m ported on the central hub at the bottompfthe receptacle 3. A plurality of radial llbS 17 of lobe shape formationextend across the surface of the members 14 and 15 having their Widerand curved ends d1sposed outwardly and rising above the outer edge ofthe member 14. A stem 18 is shown projecting upwardly from the portion.15 and centrall thereof, which stem is illustrated as circ ar in crosssection although the same may be made of a any other shape in crosssection, if desired.

The surface of the stem member is continuous with the surface of themember 15 and, as illustrated, said stem is substantially cylindricalhaving a slight upward taper. Said stem is provided with radiallypro]ecting rib or wing members 19 of small thickness, which ribs exten'dalong the sides of said stem and increase in radial thickness slightlytoward the lower end thereof, said lower ends merging into the innerends of the ribs 17 so that the two form, in effect, one continuous rib.As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the stem ortion 18 is preferablyformed hollow and the dolly may be made of any suitable material,preferably metal.

In the operation of the machine, the motor 11 is operated and powertransmitted through the described gearing to reciprocate the rack 8.This rack being held in engagement with the pinion 7 the dolly member isgiven an oscillating movement, thus agitating the water and articles inthe receptacle 3. By providing the upwardly projecting stem 18 with itsribs 19, the clothes are kept distributed in the trough formed about thedolly and do not become tangled in a central wad or knot as in thedollies heretofore used which were not provided with said stem.

It is seen, therefore, that the applicant has provided a simple andefficient form of dolly and one constituting a great improvement onthose previously used. The change in the dolly does not add appreciablyto the cost thereof or the difliculty of making and the improved dolly,can readily be substituted for the old form.

The invention has been demonstrated in actual practice and found to bevery successful and efficient for the purpose intended.

It will, of course, be understood that va rious changes may be made inthe form, details and proportions of the parts without departing fromthe scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists inthe matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A dolly for a washing machine adapted to be disposed in aliquidcontaining receptacle with its top portion well below the top ofsaid receptacle comprising a dishshaped member and a substantiallycylindrical stem rising from and merging into the central portionthereof and terminating in an upper rounded end, said stem having spacedribs extending vertically along its sides upwardly tapered throughoutthe length of said stem and extending out: wardlg across the dish-shapedmember.

2. dolly for a washing machine adapted to be disposed in a liquidcontaining receptacle with its top portion well below the top of saidreceptacle comprising a dishshaped member and a substantiallycylindrical stem rising from and merging into the central portionthereof and terminating in an upper rounded end, and spaced ribsextending from the top of said stem vertically downward and outwardlyand upwardly across said dish-shaped member and hgving substantiallysemi-circular outer e ges. v

3. A dolly for a washing machine comprising a cup-shaped disk with afrustoconical portion rising from its center having a substantiallycylindrical stem projecting centrally thereabove and terminating in arounded top, said stem having radial ribs projecting therefrom andextending alon the sides thereof, said ribs being tapered throughouttheir length of said stem and extending in lobe-shaped form across thesurface of said disk.

4. The structure set forth in claim 2, the lower portioncof saidsemi-circular edges being substantiallyv continuous with the surface ofsaid dish-shaped member.

5. An agitating member for a washing machine comprising a cup-shapeddisk having a frusto-conical portion rising from the center thereof, thevertical elements of which 105 are concave so that the surface of saidportion merges into the surface of said disk, and a .round upwardlytapering portion projecting above said frusto-conical portion andterminating in a rounded surface, and nar- 110 row radial wingsprojecting from said latter portion and extending along the sidesthereof and across the surface of said disk and having rounded outeredges merging into the concave surface of said disk.

6. A dolly for a washing machine comprising an annular trough a stemrising centrally from said trough and having a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced radial wings projecting therefrom and extendingalong its sides and across the surface of said trough the top surface ofsaid wings above said trough curving downwardly and inwardly.

7. A dolly for a washing machine com- 125 prising a dish-shaped memberand a rounded stem rising from and merging into the central portionthereof and terminating in an upper rounded end ,spaced ribs extendingvertically along said stem and merging and across the surface of saiddisk-like member.

9. A rotatable dolly for a washing machine adapted to be disposed in aliquid containing receptacle comprising a dish-shaped member having acentral upstanding tapered stem with a rounded upper end, ribs extend-20 ing across said dish and upwardly along the side of said stem andhaving rounded upper edges merging into the rounded surface of saidstem.

In testimony whereof I afiix my'signature. 25

CORNELIUS C. UN'RUH.

